2016 -- H 8353

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LC006218

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THE

JUNE 12, 2016, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Ruggiero, Carson, McKiernan, O`Grady, and Marshall

     Date Introduced: June 15, 2016

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, On June 12, 2016, a lone gun man entered the LGBT nightclub Pulse in

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Orlando, Florida, and opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle and handgun, killing forty-nine

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individuals and wounding 53 others before being killed by members of the Orlando Police

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Department's SWAT team, according to authorities. This act of domestic terrorism is the deadliest

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incident in American history of violence against the LGBT community and is the deadliest attack

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on United States soil since 9-11; and

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     WHEREAS, The massacre was immediately labeled as an act of terrorism and a hate

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crime by President Barack Obama, the Orlando Police Chief and other authorities. The suspect, a

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United States citizen, had been accused in the past of voicing hateful statements towards gays,

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African-Americans, women and Jews; and

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     WHEREAS, This cowardly massacre was an assault on all the freedoms and liberties that

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we, as free people hold dear. It was an attack against free association and against our way of life

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as Americans, and we must unite and work together to fight this kind of hatred and violence; and

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     WHEREAS, Most Americans are tolerant and compassionate people and it was

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heartening to see that in the midst of this terrible tragedy, the Orlando community rallied around

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the victims. Hundreds of people immediately lined up to donate their blood to those who were

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wounded, and within twenty-four hours, more than a million dollars had been raised to aid the

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victims and their families; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

 

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Providence Plantations hereby expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of

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the Orlando nightclub shooting; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of

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the United States, and to Rick Scott, Governor of the State of Florida.

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LC006218

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